One more week of Summer

The cabbage is looking beautiful these days!

Welcome to week 18 of our summer CSA program....and its back folks!  Summer that is, and there is only one "person" to blame.  The front that is stalling Hurricane Florance over the Carolinas is also stalling this hot weather front over Fort Collins and we are trying hard to frame "one more week of summer" with an exclamation point.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that many of our fall crops will see this as just a hot blip rather than a signal to start bolting for summer as you never know what next week's weather will bring.  Regardless of the heat, we are still cranking out veggies as we add to our expanded list of September offerings.  We did our final round of chile roasting for the winter farm share and still have more on the plants so we are planning to have a chile roasting afternoon for CSA members to come by and get some fresh roasted goodies.  We are tentatively planning this toward the end of the month, so keep a look out for a date coming soon.

We have good news for the spinach loving folks, its back from its summer vacation and should stay with us until the end of March.  Cooked or eaten raw, spinach is one of the more versatile crops on the farm.  It pairs well with just about anything, so be sure to grab a bag or two this week to scratch that itch you've had since June.   

Fall fennel is such a treat and its time to take advantage.  One of my favorite things to do with fennel is a savory tart.  Make a nice flakey tart crust and fill it with caramelized leeks, fennel, apples, mushrooms and blue cheese.  You can also just fold over the tart crust and make little hand pies for a fun weekend project.  I love pizza with caramelized fennel, eggplant, and beets.  Fennel and cherry tomato risotto is another one of my fennel favorites.  The mild flavor of bulb fennel combines so well with the silky texture of the rice and the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes, it is something kids and adults alike can agree on at the table.  

Some of you may have discovered the Frise at the market last weekend.  When it comes to chicories, I am a connoisseur, appreciating there addictive bitter flavor when paired with something sweet and something acidic.  We stopped growing them last year after what I would call a perceived public phobia surrounding the trickier vegetable, but we brought it back after a working member told me it was her favorite vegetable that we grew on the farm.   Apparently all I needed was one more "frizzy" fan (her words not mine), to bring it back and trust me, its nothing to be afraid of.  Lightly saute it with some salt and lemon juice and drape it with some caramelized leeks and mushrooms and perhaps a poached egg.  Or grill it and serve with a honey lemon dressing, goat cheese, currents, and slivered almonds.  It is one of the more benign vegetables in the chicory family and a good place to start your own addiction.

Wondering your accounts balance?  If you are getting receipts from the farm, you can find your balance at the bottom of your most recent receipt.  If you are not getting receipts from the farm, please let me know and I will check the email address that is attached to the account.  Also, we did a little training session over the week about adding more money to accounts, so all staff should be able to make that happen for you at the market.  My apologies for overlooking this important detail before last week's market.  

Finally, don't forget about winter CSA.  Shares sell out by the end of September EVERY YEAR so don't delay...I'm not great at saying no to people, so relieve some anxiety from your farmer and sign up now.  Pick ups just keep getting better as we are hoping to add some live music to the party this year.  Stay tuned as this idea becomes a reality. 

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
katie

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This Week's Harvest...phew!

Kale

Chard

Collard Greens

Head Lettuce

Spinach

Frise

Leeks

Carrots

Beets

Eggplant

Cucumbers

Sweet and Hot Peppers

Cherry and Heirloom Tomatoes

Yukon Gold Potatoes (strohaur farms)

Red and Yellow Onions

Fennel Bulbs

Cabbage

Flowers and Herbs

Green and Yellow Beans

Radishes

Probably something else I missed because there is so much food!

Oh-so-fall

Good Morning!

We've made it to week 16 on the farm and it has been oh-so-fall.  This week has been what I think September is supposed to feel like every year and we have been lucky enough to enjoy some cooler temps and gentle breezes. We have been soaking up every minute of it as it looks to get hot again starting over the weekend.  Typically the first full week in September we are doing some heavy lifting, trying to get the winter squash out of the field and curing in the greenhouse; however, this year we didn't have enough room to plant winter squash so we have found ourselves with a little breathing room.  Don't worry, we found plenty of ways to fill up the space such as harvesting fall cabbage, roasting and freezing chilies for the winter shares, and catching up on some late season seeding and weeding.  Speaking of winter squash, here's a quick update: We had an agreement to source it from another local, organic farm near Longmont, but they had a tremendous late season hail storm that demolished their winter squash crop.  We have a lead on another local source, but they have not harvested their crop yet and so we wait. 

Lucky for us, winter squash is not the only thing available to eat right now and we have found ourselves overwhelmed with food again.  Arugula is back for the fall and it pairs well with just about all fall food.  Try roasting down some cherry tomatoes, spreading them on toast with ricotta and topping it with arugula...or just add some arugula to your favorite caprese salad to spice it up a bit.  I have dreams this week of lunch salads of arugula, peaches, basil, toasted pecans, and a balsamic reserve cheese...but you could replace peaches with pears or apples or whatever local fruit you have laying around.  Cabbage it back for the fall and I'm psyched.  With local sweet corn available for another week, I'm thinking of a super slaw for fish tacos.  It also pairs well with mushrooms, leeks, and sweet peppers for some vegetarian dumplings or wontons.  Fry up some rice with collard greens and your friends will be asking where you got such awesome take out. 

Holy cow, we officially have 2 months before the first winter farm share pick up.  Don't wait too long to sign up for your winter share, they are going fast and its going to be a great winter.  Jodar Farm will again be attending the CSA pick ups at Equinox so you can purchase local meat and eggs while enjoying a beer with friends in the dark days of winter.  Its a real party and we hope you will join us!

Just an FYI, if you are running low on your account, you have two options.  You can add more money to your account in which case you will retain your 10% discount and we can do this at the market without a problem.  OR you can just keep coming to the market and pay cash.  We can't hold tabs with our accounting system like we have been able to do in the past, I apologize for the inconvenience!  Also, for any new members, just a reminder that you have 8 more weeks to use your account balances. We cannot roll them over into the winter market or a winter share or a 2019 share.   We have already (and successfully) taken your seed money and turned it into produce for the summer season, so please come get what is due to you by October 27th.

Looking forward to seeing many of you soon!

Katie

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This week's Harvest...oh my...what a list!

• Kale
• Ruby Chard
• Collard Greens
• Green Cabbage
• Leeks
• Yukon Gold Potatoes (strohaur farms)
• Cucumbers
• Beets
• Carrots
• Head Lettuce 
• Arugula
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Roma boxes
• Sweet Peppers
• Hot Peppers
• Eggplant
• Sweet Onions
• Green and Yellow Beans
• Flowers

Can you can?

The "Can you can?" Challenge is on!

Hello Folks,

It's week 15 on the farm! We've finally turned the tomato corner and we are on the down hill from here on out.  I'm sure many of you have mixed emotions about that, but frankly we here at the farm are somewhat relieved.  We love tomatoes as much as you all, but it was a little out of control for a while and we are happy to be able to catch up on some farm work other than the run away tomato train.  Don't fret too much as we still have plenty of tomato time ahead of us and we will still be offering bulk options at the market for a few more weeks.  Our new slogan compliments of our working member Andy is the "Can you Can" challenge and we are counting on many of you to dust off your ball jars, roll up your sleeves, and turn up the kitchen heat for the last push of roma tomatoes. Don't miss your opportunity to put some away for winter!

Signs of late summer and early autumn are everywhere now and as we round the bend to September, I start to actually feel giddy about all the amazing food combinations that come along with this month.  As most of you already know, it is my favorite time of year to eat locally.  It is the great flavor overlap, the time when summer melts into fall and you can create things in your kitchen that are not usually possible unless you live in California.  The prospect of going to bed every night of the month fat and happy is something I look forward to all year long and although I am not expecting you all to hold as much culinary enthusiasm as I do for the month of September, I hope that you folks are at least a little excited for all that this time of year has to offer.

The first leeks will be appearing at the market stand this week and I am thrilled.  Second only to shallots (and you all know how I feel about shallots), they are my favorite allium.  It is long season crop but unlike its cousin the onion, the leak does not store for a long period of time is better when used fresh.  I have no problems cutting up leeks, tossing them in a skillet and eating them as a veggie side for dinner.  Arugula and balsamic are great adds to this dish, but we will have to wait another week before the farm arugula is ready. We were over at a neighbors for dinner this week and she stuffed some of our Carmen peppers with pork and onions, but I couldn't help thinking how awesome the dish would have been with leeks.  I actually really love the flavor of raw leeks and will chop them up and add them to a hardy autumn salad.  Our leeks are extra tall, and you can use most of the stalk when you are cooking with them, not just the white part of the stem.  The other great part about the leek is its tendency to inspire puns...which I will spare you all most of my "best" ones, and leave you with just one.  Don't be afraid to take the leek.  

Just a reminder that the time is NOW to secure your winter vegetable share.  I don't want anyone to miss out on eating fresh and local all winter long and we always sell out.  I've been sleuthing around at other winter farm shares in other parts of the country and have come to the conclusion that with the exception of California, we have a really awesome winter option...so take advantage!  Be sure to sign up online or grab a paper application at the market.  This year we are offering an extremely limited amount of small(er) winter shares, so if this interests you, make sure to sign up today before they run out.

 Looking forward to seeing many of you soon!

Katie

This Week's Harvest

• Kale

• Chard

• Head Lettuce

• Beets

• Carrots

• Sweet Onions

• Summer Squash (Garden Sweet)

• Zucchini (some Garden Sweet)

• Fingerling Potato Mix (Strohaur farm)

• Sweet and Hot Peppers

• Heirloom and Cherry Tomatoes 

• Roma Tomato Boxes

• Green and Yellow Beans

• Eggplant

• Cucumbers

• Flower Bouquets

• Leeks

Farming in the smoke

Greetings Folks,

Week 14 has been a hazy one for all of us on farm and off.  We are doing our best to farm in the smoke, but it is a little like ignoring the thousand pound gorilla in the room...its hard to not notice and let your mind wander a little bit into the future of a hotter and dryer west.  It helps to focus on the positive stuff like all the great food coming off the farm and the nice reprieve we had from the heat during the beginning of the week.  In addition to remembering all our favorite apocalypse movies, we have mostly been harvesting tomatoes, selling tomatoes, eating tomatoes, and of course dreaming of tomatoes. We also took a small tomato break (and I do mean small) to weed and plant more fall crops...many of which should be starting to show up at the market by the 2nd week in September...which in case you needed a reminder, is only one week away!

I think the time has come to start talking about peppers.  It takes a long time to get sweet peppers on the farm in Colorado, mainly because our nights are so cold, but we are finally into peppers season. Peppers are similar to tomatoes in that they set fruit and then "ripen" to their sweet color; however, unlike a tomato their "unripe" form is very edible and recognized in the culinary world as a "green" pepper.  I use quotations around the green part because not all unripe peppers are green, some are purple, or white or lime green and we grow all types on our farm (which is perhaps one reason why you folks chose to get your produce from us rather than the store).  

In addition to all the different color bell peppers that we grow, we are also growing some sweet peppers that are different shapes.  Carmen and Escamillo sweet peppers are red and yellow and are elongated in shape.  They look a bit lite an Anahiem pepper but instead of the spice, you get a deep sweet flavor that is great for fajitas or pizza.  Try roasting them on your grill or oven in some olive oil and salt and adding them to pasta or putting them out as a topping for a bread and cheese plate.  

Jimmie Nardello peppers, or just Jimmies for short, are a farmer favorite.  They look like a long curly cayenne type pepper but are sweet and fruity.  Although they are a little more work to cut and de-seed, they are worth the trouble!  Sauté or grill and put them on everything....literally. 

Although the majority of our peppers are sweet, we also grow a variety of hot peppers that are sold as a medley at the market.  I like to get two pints and do a quick pickle with them.  They are ready right away to add to pizza, tacos, and burgers and will keep for a couple weeks in your fridge.  Just a processing tip, be sure to wear gloves as the capsicum oil from the hot guys can haunt you for days. Don't ask me how I know that.

Tomato Update:  We will still have boxes of roma, beefsteak, and heirloom boxes at the market this week.  We will also have 10 lb flats of cherry tomatoes that are great for roasting and freezing.  Don't miss out on these, we will only have them for a very limited time!

See you all very soon!
Katie

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This Week's Harvest

• Kale
• Chard
• Head Lettuce
• Beets
• Carrots
• Sweet Onions
• Summer Squash (Garden Sweet)
• Zucchini (some Garden Sweet)
• Fingerling Potato Mix (Strohaur farm)
• Sweet and Hot Peppers
• Heirloom and Cherry Tomatoes (by the piece or bulk)
• Roma and Beefstake Tomato Boxes
• Green and Purple Beans
• Eggplant
• Cucumbers
• Flower Bouquets

With our shirts only half tucked in

Hello Folks,

Its the last week of summer vacation!  Which may not mean much except more traffic for folks without kiddos, but it certainly does signal a change in the light and the transition to late summer.  Town will be bustling again, new routines to get used to, new sports schedules.  We hope it won't stop you from finding time to pick up your vegetables because there a lot of them coming off the farm right now.  We have been very busy harvesting and sorting tomatoes and other summer fruits, seeding loose leaf greens for an expected September harvest, and "beautifying" the farm...aka weeding.  We are planning for fall cover crops and turning our attention, with our shirts only half tucked in, to the last legs of the race. 

If you hadn't heard yet, its tomato time.  We will have boxes of heirloom seconds, boxes of slicing tomatoes and boxes of romas all at the market this week.  We are counting on everyone to do their part and pick up at least one box of tomatoes over the next 3 weeks.  There looks to be some cooler weather in the forecast for Sunday, so it will be a great time to turn on the stove tops or ovens and get some tomatoes put up for the winter.  Roast 'em, sauce them, salsa them, or just freeze 'em whole.  You won't be sad this winter when you have them stashed safely away for tomato soup and grilled cheese in the dead of winter. 

Beans are finally abundant on the farm again and we have a lot of varieties to choose from.  Green are your classic, but don't be afraid to spice things up and pick up some dragon lingerie (aka, sexy beans), or some purple majesty.  Its certainly the most colorful time on the farm, so taste the rainbow while we got it!

Also, the flowers on the farm are off the hook right now.  So much so that we need to start doing some you pick.  If you are interested, bring your own scissors or snips and follow the signs.  Pretty sure for all you single folks out there it would be a grand slam date night...but its fun for the kids too.  Flower patch is open 8-6pm, check out sheets for CSA members are in the farm stand.  

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Katie

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This Week's Harvest

• Kale
• Chard
• Head Lettuce
• Beets
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini (garden sweet)
• Summer Squash (garden sweet)
• Beans, green, purple, dragon lingerie
• Fingerling Potatoes (strohaur)
• Tomatoes, Cherry, Slicing, Heirloom, Romas
• Peppers, sweet, hot, shishito
• Sweet Onions
• Basil and other herbs
• Flowers